We got to Shokudo pretty late on a weekday so it was just a tad crowded. After we got ourselves a table, I immediately started to “recce” the place, with the help of the inbuilt GPS system (i.e. my nose). Think I was probably hungry, or the variety and aroma just excited every single muscle in me.

Here’s what we had:

Mushroom Cheese Omelette

This is my first time trying it, and I thought its pretty yummy. The egg wrap was very soft and moist, but firm enough such that it didn’t fall apart when lifted up. There were some mushrooms and bacon within the omelette, which made it even more mouth watering, but also more sinful!

EbiBacon Wasabi Pizza

Another one of my favourites that night. The crust was really really thin and light. Crispy too. The toppings were some shrimps, and bacon, with a light yet distinct taste of wasabi. I think the wasabi made the pizza actually more appetizing. Point to note though, was that the shrimps were probably soaked in soda water, hence giving it the translucent crunchy texture.

Bacon and Oyster

We had some bacon with oyster on skewer. I’m not a big fan of either, but the sticks being grilled looked very tempting when I walked past. Nothing impressive I’d say, probably a tad too oily as well.

The other item from the same stall was the Yaki Onigri (i.e. grilled rice). I remember eating this while growing up, and I haven’t tried one since I moved out of my neighbourhood many years back. To my knowledge, the grilled rice should be layered with a piece of mint leaves on both sides before grilling. Hence it will allow the flavour to soak in during the BBQ process.

Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice)

This version at Shokudo didn’t have that. I think the rice probably had some vinegar and seaweed mixed within, while the outer layer was pretty crispy. Ideally I’d say one Onigri to three persons, otherwise it may get too filling.

Yaki Gyoza (Pot Stickers)

Next up was a plate of Gyoza (Japanese Pot Stickers). I wouldn’t say it was superb, neither was it bad. But ultimately it had the requirements of a fried dumpling (crispy skin, bit of soup in the filling).

Stir Fried Assorted Mushrooms

Finally we had the stir-fried assorted mushrooms, tepanyaki style with lotsa garlic. Again though I’m a mushroom lover, but I thought this was easily forgetable. But nevertheless still pretty decent.

I think the omelette and the pizza was really good. Hence bringing up the expectations of the other items we ordered. Nevertheless, its a Marche style dining where you probably don’t get 5-star chefs. If you’re going out in a big group, and you like to order a variety of food, then do give Shokudu Japanese Food Bazzar a try.

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar @ Raffles City
Raffles City Shopping Center
252 North Bridge Road, #B1-44E
Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 6837 3793
http://shokudoconcepts.com.sg/bazaar/home.html

“Japanese say Americans are lazy. HA!! At least we cook our fish !”

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A little bit of history, Modesto’s has been around in Singapore for more than a decade. Of which I think the flagship outlet was at Orchard Parade Hotel. The Italian restaurant chain was founded by an Italian chef, Modesto Marini, and till date has expanded to 3 outlets in Singapore, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Not too sure about the rest, but I liked the ambiance of this outlet at Vivocity. The interior lighting a was a little bit dim which I thought was nice and cosy. There’s also an al fresco area that just overlooks the harbour and Sentosa. Definitely a nice place to sit down and chill at night. A slight draw back though, would be that it can get rather noisy during the peak hours, and somehow, the aircon was a little chilly that night.

Modestos Dinner Set Menu

After some deliberation, we decided to go for the dinner set for 2. At $48 nett, I thought it was very reasonably priced, with one option from the Appetizer Selection, two main course, and one dessert.

Bread with Olive Oil & Vinaigrette

We started off with some homemade bread with olive oil and vinaigrette. Though the bread was quite soft and sparse, but I thought it would be much better if the outer layer was a little crisp. Then again maybe its because of our “extended” photo taking session.

Insalata Alla Cesare - Cesar Salad

Next for appetizers we had the Insalata Alla Cesare or rather simply known as Cesar Salad. The plate was filled with lots of fresh green lettuce, topped with thinly sliced cheese, croutons, n bacon bits. The salad dressing used was sorta creamy, with a slight yet distinct garlic taste.

Regular Pizza Gamberetti - Tomato, Cheese n Lemon Marinated Shrimps

Next up was the Pizza Gamberett and Spaghetti Allla Carbonara. The pizza caught my attention because the description said it consists of lemon marinated shrimps. Of which the lemon part made it sound quite refreshing. To be honest, I think I could only taste a hint of lemon within the shrimps, and also I think the cheese had some lemon juice in it too. Very slight though. The crust was really thin, light, and crispy. I for one, wouldn’t even consider Pizza Hut after tasting this.

Spaghetti Allla Carbonara

The memory that’s left within me of the spaghetti is rather vague, but I think the done-ness was pretty Al Dante style. The sauce wasn’t too creamy either. Relatively speaking, I think the spaghetti here can take on Prego’s, hands down anytime.

Tiramisu Modestos

Last but not least, my beloved Italian dessert. I really really loved this one a lot. The cheese was very light and yet not too sweet, while the lady’s finger inside was generously soaked with aromatic espresso, and coffee liquor. If you love Tiramisu, then the one at Modesto’s cannot be missed out.

If you’re in the vicinity of Vivocity and craving for some Italian cuisine, then Modesto’s is definitely the place to go. Do check out credit card promotions and the lunch / dinner sets available which are generally quite value for money.

Modesto’s @ Vivo
1 HarbourFront Walk #01-166/167 VivoCity
Open daily from 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Tel: 6376 9808
Website: www.modestos.com.sg

An Italian song that talks about love, pizzas, pastas, and what they have in common. Enjoy~

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That’s amore…
“That’s Amore” by Dean Martin

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Well, or so it seems.

I finally managed to catch the long awaited movie Julie & Julia, and due to the gourmet genre of the film, my tummy was rumbling impatiently away when we left the theatres. I had originally planned a “french” themed evening (visiting Le Bistrot for dinner) with a friend but it was probably one of those days when mummy nature was throwing her tantrums at us.

You see, Le Bistrot was located at the Indoor Stadium, and the only available carparks were open-aired ones. Not a wise idea since it was pouring cats and dogs. The persistent lightning and thunder didn’t make things any easier either.

So french gourmet movie – check!
French gourmet dinner – uncheck!

After much deliberation we decided to head to the nearest TCC for dinner since my friend had a $50 voucher which had to be used up by that night. As I haven’t been back to the east in awhile, the only TCC outlet that could register in my mind was the one at Terminal 3, Changi Airport. Anyway theoretically its a good idea since the carpark there is sheltered, and its also being an option to get away from the crowd.

Lesson learnt. Singaporeans love chilling out at the airport.

The carpark was pretty packed, and all (I really mean all), the restaurants were packed with long queues. Whether it was Lerk Thai, Crystal Jade, Sake Sushi, Hong Kong Cafe, etc, every single food outlet there is had a queue. Quite amazing isn’t it? Definitely not the impression I had of Changi Airport when I was growing up.

Right, n’uff said. Lets dig in to the food.

We finally decided to just stick with the original plan, and queued for TCC. Luckily by then it was pretty late so crowd started to disperse a little. There wasn’t much to choose from with regards to the soup, as out of the 5 – 6 options only 2 of them were available. That day being Halloween, we decided to join in the “festivity” and ordered the Minty Pumpkin Soup.

Minty Pumpkin Soup

Maybe I was hungry, but seriously I thought the soup was quite good. You could taste the fresh pumpkin puree from within, and diced up mint leaves sprinkled on top, gave the soup a very creamy yet refreshing feel. The after-taste of the mint leaves and the pumpkin gelled quite well too. Definitely worth a try.

Prawn Cheese-a-Toast

Another appetizer that we tried was the Prawn Cheese-a-Toast. Funny name, but to put it simply it was with some minced prawn spread on top of a slice of toasted bread, covered with melted cheese. I like deep fried stuff, so it was pretty decent for me, though I couldn’t really taste the prawn.

Next up was the Beef D’luxe. Somehow I was very intrigued with the name, probably because of how how they spelt the word “deluxe”. Though the main ingredient was the beef patty, it didn’t give the “meat overdose” feeling at the end of the day. If you’ve been to Carl’s Jr, you’ll probably know what I mean.

Beef D'luxe

Having said that, I thought ironically, the star of the show wasn’t the beef. Rather it was the “nectarous braised apples” that stole the show. The apples were soft, lightly sweetened, and kinda fell apart once inside the mouth. I think its partly because of this that’s why the dish didn’t feel too meaty.

At this point, I have to make it known that the service was a little bit of a disappointment that day. It was very obvious the restaurant was under-staffed and waiters being inexperienced didn’t make things any better. Our bills got mixed up with another table’s, and they forgot our other main course: Sea Perch with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Sea Perch with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Back to the “latecomer”, I thought the wasabi sauce was quite an impact on the taste buds on first taste. Kinda like “wow, that SURE is wasabi sauce, no doubt about it”. The fish was well grilled, such that the meat was pretty soft, and a little crispy on the outside. Though its still a far cry compared to the one we had at Restaurant Ember, that one really melted in your mouth. But hey, I’m not complaining. This is half the price of Ember, and we getting close to fine dining food standard.

Last but not least, I think one cannot say that you’ve actually been to TCC, if you didn’t try their desserts! I was a little bit filled up by then, hence it was one of the rare occasions where I skipped the Tiramisu. After much consideration the “Oh Kabocha!!” photo stood out from the rest in the desserts section of the menu.

Oh Kabocha!! - Japanese Pumpkin Mousse

The “Oh Kabocha!!” is actually a Japanese pumpkin mousse. Not the really the soft creamy kind like what you get in chocolate mousse, but somewhere in between a very light cake texture and cheese mix. One good thing I liked about this is that it isn’t filling, and neither is it too sweet. Probably just the right dessert choice after a hefty meal.

However be warned that the raspberries on the side are EXTREMELY sour!

To be honest, I really enjoyed the meal. For starters I changed my perception towards TCC after that day. The ambience was very cosy, and the food was pretty decent. Not as good as fine dining meals, but close enough. You can tell that every dish was carefully prepared from cooking, all the way to presentation. Big thumbs up to that. The minor drawback though was the inexperienced staff. But I have to give them credit for readily apologising for the mistakes that they made.

The Coffee Connoisseur
65 Airport Boulevard
#03-23 Terminal 3 Departure Hall
Tel: (65) 6214 1693
Website: www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com

Kabocha actually means “winter squash” or pumpkin in Japanese. According to wiki, this breed of pumpkins was originally grown in America, but later almost the entire crop was being imported to Japan.

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It all started with me emailing Camemberu for some suggestions on a place to celebrate a friend’s Bday, and then it was narrowed down to La Cantina, which I thought was an excellent choice in the end.

Located on the top floor of Changi Village Hotel (previously known as Le Meridien Changi), customers will get an unparalleled sea view with ships docking in the horizons. Every few minutes you’ll see planes taking off and landing. Best part is you can’t hear the noise from inside of the restaurant.

There’s two floors to the restaurant, and alfresco dining is also available. However due to Singapore’s humid climate, I’d suggest an indoor sitting. Alright, n’uff said, lets go to the food.

I was feeling kinda adventurous (well as always), and hence we ordered a fair share of dishes. 2 appetizers, 2 main courses, and 2 desserts to be exact.

Deep Fried Mozarella Cheese

First up is the Deep Fried Mozaralla Cheese. Whether you’re a cheese person, or not, I think this is a must try dish. The cheese is coated with a layer of crumbs (possibly bread or buscuit crumbs), and fried to golden brown. The salad accompanied the cheese quite well, and the ingredients were really fresh. So much so, its the first time I actually kept popping tomatoes into my mouth!

Inside of the Mozarella Cheese

Now, this has to be the winning shot. We took a little bit of time to take the photos, so the cheese wasn’t as warm as how its supposed to be. But nevertheless, look at how we managed to stretch it apart. Yummy!

Next up was the Vongole. I remembered I had trouble ordering this, because vongole to me was always a type of spaghetti. Well, lesson learned, its actually a clam.

Vongole Soup

This was done like a clam soup. Not creamy based, but more broth-like. Ok, I have to be honest. If you don’t like clams or mussels, then you may want to skip this. On first taste, the soup was pretty salty (because of the clam, not excessive salt). So much so I wanted to give up. But bit by bit, you start to get accustomed to the taste, and its actually quite fragrant with the clams.

Pile of empty clam shells

So basically, I guess its an acquired taste. Both of us managed to finish the pile of clams at the end. And personally, I was quite satisfied with myself.

Since we were at an Italian restaurant, then I guess it only makes sense to order pastas and pizzas right? Hence we decided on the Fruitti Di Mare Pizza and Fettuccine Porcini for main course.

Fruitti Di Mare Pizza

The pizza’s ingredient is similar to what you get in a Hawaiian Pizza and a Seafood Pizza. There were prawns (juicy n succulent ones), clams, squid, scallop, and pineapple chunks. Speaking of which, the scallops are actually hidden in the cheese and the toppings aren’t really spread evenly across the pizza. And I only got to know of what I missed out a day later.

Darn!

Fettuccine with a variety of mushrooms

Fettuccine Porcini was pretty good. I’m a mushroom lover, and so is my friend. There were  loads of different kind of mushroom inside, covered with a cream based sauce. I think its not the usual mushrooms you can get locally either. The only draw back was that my friend thought the pasta was a little over-cooked. I thought it was fine though.

So guess if you want your pasta to be cooked Al Dante style, do let the service staff know.

Finally dessert time! I’m asking the obvious here, but can anyone guess what we ordered?

Pretty decent Tiramisu, not fabulous, but decent

Alright, not entirely the best Tiramisu that I’ve tasted, but one of the better one. The cheese was pretty soft and creamy, while the ladyfinger is soaked thoroughly with espresso. The only thing I felt was lacking was the liquor.

But on that note, I should compliment the exquisite service provided by the staff at La Cantina. I briefly asked them to come up with a little B’Day surprise for my friend… And my my I thought it was perfectly executed, even I was a little stunned!

Speaking of which I’ve always had high hopes for The Patissier’s cakes. I’ll try their Tiramisu when I get the chance then I’ll blog it down here. Hopefully it won’t disappoint. I always get my cakes from them, especially if its for a special occasion. You may want to check out the link above.

Mandaino - Deep freezed mandarin orange with ice-cream

Finally to wash everything down, we decided on the Mandaino. Its basically a hollow mandarin orange, filled with orange flavoured ice-cream, and deep freezed. I thought it was quite ordinary, except for the presentation. Maybe we should have tried the Gelato instead.

Anyway, I think you can try checking out Carrefour, or the other hypermarts to see if they have the Mandaino. I’m quite sure its an imported product, and there are other flavours such as pear, lemon, etc to choose from as well.

On the whole, La Cantina is really a good place if you like to spend quality with someone. Its really out of the way, and they don’t close till 2am. Hence you can just sit there to talk while watching the planes go by. Only thing to note is that they do blast up the music past 10pm during “Happy Hours”, though i think you can kindly ask them to turn the volume down.

Oh and do go early. I’ve read that you can get an amazing sunset view from there. We missed the sunset that time round. And lastly, I heard this is one of Xiaxue’s favourite Italian restaurant.

La Cantina in Venezia
Changi Village Hotel, 1 Netheravon Road
#08/09-02, Singapore 508502
Tel: (65) 6546 9190
Website: www.cantinafoodwine.com

Did you know, Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian?

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The restaurant setting gives diners a very cosy feeling to it. Candles were lit all around the place, and the service staff was extra attentive, and maybe just maybe a little too friendly. Its the kind of place you’ll bring your date for a nice meal that probably won’t burn your pocket. The only draw back is that the tables are packed quite closed together, and when the restaurant is full, it may get a little too noisy.

Dimly Lit Surroundings with Candles, I thought it gave a little bit of Phantom Of The Opera feel

Before we get to the food, let me explain what the restaurant’s speciality is. The bosses of Oriole Cafe & Bar were both winners and 1st runner up of the recent Singapore National Barista Championships 2009. (i.e. They are expert coffee brewers)

The menu boasts a wide selection of coffee, ranging fom the usual latte, to espresso, machiatto and many more. For gutsy diners, you may want to try a special concoction that contains chilli inside. For me I had the Oriole Cappuccino, without the chilli. This is how it looked like:

Note the foam art on top. I thought was quite good, but too bad the award winners didn't make mine personally

The coffee scent was really aromatic, and I personally thought the coffee wasn’t too acidic either. The Oriole Cappuccino consisted a shot of espresso below, some milk, and foam on top. I’ve seen a number of photos on the internet before, but to have a handmade coffee art in front of you just made my day.

Here’s a link on wiki if you’re keen to find out more on coffee art

Peach Mojo

My friend had the Peach Mojo cocktail. Darn I just remembered I didn’t ask to try it, so can’t really give any comments here. But it sure looks refreshing!

Next we tried a starter dish called Chicken Tikka. Its sorta like those grilled / baked tandoori chicken bits, but not spicy. There’s a dipping sauce by the side that has some mint leaves. Chicken itself is so, so, but tastes quite good with the dip.

Chicken Tikka

For mains, I tried the Wagyu Steak. The serving was a little small, and if memory serves me right the weight was about 150g. Quite a conservative portion I’d say. To me it was a pretty decent cut, but don’t expect any celebrity steak or marbalised meat texture.

The meat was thinly sliced, pretty soft and tender too. I liked the gravy though, ample spread of chunky mushrooms. You can also taste a number of herbs and spices, but I can’t tell them apart for nuts. Definitely a good combination though.

Wagyu Beef, served with stir fried veges and mashed potatoes

My friend had a Beef Cheek with Fettuccine. From first looks, it didn’t look extremely appetizing. Just the usual slices of beef, pasta, and mushroom sauce. Not much garnishing involved. But you know the saying, looks can be deceiving…

I was quite surprised at the tenderness of the meat. Probably because its from the cheek of the cow? Hmmm… not too sure about that, but the meat was very thinly sliced, very lean, and yet soft and tender. The mushroom gravy was again filled with herbs of all sorts. I think I tasted some coriander?

Beef Cheek with Fettuccine

But the best part was that the pasta soaked up the sauce entirely. It was a very different taste to the usual spaghetti carborana, or bolongise. Quite good I’d say. Something like pasta with stew-like sauce.

For dessert we had the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Not too bad, but nothing spectacular. The “berry syrup dressing” by the side was quite sour. In a way was good such that then you wouldn’t get choco overdose. I was expecting some chocolate fudge to ooze out, but sadly there wasn’t any.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Overall, quite a nice cosy environment with pretty good service. For the quality of food, I think the pricing is quite reasonable, main courses are about $20-$25 there about. Only thing to note though, is that if you’re bringing a date along, it may get a little too noisy during the peak hours.

Oriole Cafe & Bar

Oriole Cafe & Bar
96 Somerset Road
Level 1, Pan Pacific Service Suites
http://www.oriole.com.sg/

Good coffee smells like freshly ground heaven…

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Werner’s started out as a small German bakery in the late 1980s. Over the years they’ve expanded from a small outlet to a decent sized cafe style eatery in Siglap that serves anything from Oxtail Stew, to Home-made German sausages, Pork Knuckles and imported German beer.

The owners are two local sisters, one of whom married a German who is probably the heart and soul behind this eatery. As far back as I can remember, he’s the guy who bakes the bread and pastry for the shop. Oh and the pork knuckles chef too…

For starters we two glasses of Paulaner (imported German beer). The Hefe-Weissbier was described as “a golden, naturally cloudy wheat beer with a delicate fruity aroma” on the menu. Personally, I thought it was quite refreshing, but couldn’t taste any fruity flavour in it.

Hefe-Weissbier (Left), Beer with 7-Up (Right)

If you’d like something sweeter, there’s an option of having the beer mixed with 7up / coke on the menu. Basically its diluted beer with soft-drinks.

For mains, we had the Farmer’s Sausage and Knusperiege Schweinhaxe (Pork Knuckles). Both dishes came with “Sauerkraut” (fermented shredded cabbage) and one potato side. Either mashed potatoes of potato salad.

Farmer's Sausage (with Sauerkraut & Potato Salad)

The Farmer’s Sausage had a number of spices inside like chilli, fresh garlic, parsley, etc. You can really taste the freshness of the meat, not like those filled with salt and pepper you find in supermarkets. The meat used was quite lean too, didn’t taste any fats. Personally, I thought that the sausage had a little oriental flavour, possibly because of the chilli and garlic taste.

Cross Sectional View of the Farmer's Sausage

In my opinion, I think Pork Knuckles has to be one of the most sinful dish in the entire German culture. But simply delicious. I’ve been to Werner’s a number of times while growing up in the neighbourhood, but didn’t get to try the Pork Knuckles till today.

Crispy Pork Knuckes served with mashed potatoes & sauerkraut

The layer of skin on the exterior was just so crispy that I couldn’t stop my mouth from wanting more. In fact, I’m feeling hungry now as I’m writing this post. The meat may be a tad too dry for most diners, but to me it was alright. The knuckles were fried to perfection, the meat just falls off the bone, and there’s no sign of any burnt taste.

I’d go back for this dish anytime, but probably have to make sure I fulfill at least 3 gym sessions per week before such indulgence again.

Definitely one of the best German eating hunts in Singapore, and with a homely touch to it. Don’t get shocked if you see celebrities walking. Tan Keng Hwa and Rod Monteiro who both stays in the east, frequent Werner’s Oven quite a fair bit.

Werner's Oven

Werner’s Oven
6 Upper East Coast Road
#01-01/02/03
Singapore 455220
http://www.wernersoven.com.sg
Closed on Mondays

Here’s an old German proverb which probably explains why Germans love their meat and drinks:

Erst kommt das Fressen, dann die Moral

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From hearsay, the founders of Restaurant Ember is a husband and wife team. The husband is the chef, while the wife attends to customers outside. I’m not too sure who’s who, but there was a lady outside who I found exceptionally friendly and attentive.

The restaurant setting is rather cosy, with limited seating. Probably about 20-25 tables in total. So once it gets pretty packed, the noise level will increase substantially. Especially if there’s a rowdy group in the house. Nevertheless in my humble opinion, the food makes everything well worth it.

Angel Hair Pasta With Sea Urchin

For starters, we tried the Angel Hair Pasta with Sea Urchin. To be honest, its the first time I’ve tried Sea Urchin, and I was quite skeptical during the order process. But what the heck, anything’s worth a try right?

The pasta’s cooked to perfection, and the sea urchin (well) tastes a little mushy and sweet. The dish is served cold so it was kind of refreshing. The portion is really small, and makes one yearn for more.

Next up we had the grilled lamb shanks and grilled fish for main course.

In all fairness, I must say their grilled lamb shanks was simply excellent! Seriously I don’t know how its being poached / grilled, or what kind of utensils were being used. But the meat was cooked just right, may be a little raw to some but, I thought it was pink to perfection.

Grilled Lamb Shanks, grilled to perfection. Look at the how pink the meat is!

There’s a little yellow paste like puree by the side, which we had a hard time making out. It tasted a little fruity to me, but yet had a starchy, grainy feel. One of the waiters solved the mystery and its actually a sweet potato mash supposedly to accompany the lamb.

Geez, I’m already mouth-watering as I’m writing this. This dish is definitely a must-try!

Grilled Fish with Mushrooms

The grilled fish (can’t remember the name) was well done too. The fish isn’t the kind that melts in your mouth, but it was grilled just right such that its falls right off your knife. And the meat stays intact as well. The texture was pretty smooth and soft, while the skin was a little crispy.

Tarte Tartin - Caramelized apple on top, with vanillia ice-cream

For desserts we tried the Tarte Tartin with vanilla ice-cream. Its sorta like an apple tart / pie with flake like crust, and caramelized apple on top. Everything is made in-house, including the vanilla ice-cream. I thought it was pretty decent, but my attention was more focused on the smooth, silky ice-cream.

When put together, I think it’s still a good combination. For us, we asked for our ice-cream separately, otherwise I think its just served on top of the tart.

Overall, a good dinner experience. A set dinner for 2 would come up to be about $140-$170. Nevertheless though, I think its very worth it for the kind of food, and service.

If you’re looking for somewhere nice to chill, or to celebrate an occasion, then this has to be the place. But do remember to make reservations in advance, especially if its a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night.

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Located slightly further up from the bustling eateries in Siglap, BigFish Seafood Grill offers a rather cosy and homely atmosphere with very friendly staff. They specialise in grilled fish, and the variety of fish dishes they have is really quite appetizing.

The founders of the restaurant Rosaline Lee and Lim Juat Kin were ex-HSBC bank officers, while the chef has a boastful resume of working in Raffles Hotel, and Marina Mandarin. The restaurant has also been featured in numerous publications like 8-Days, Asia Cuisine, and shows like Coffee Talk & Hawker Woks.

Ok enough said, here comes some photos

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Cream of Mushroom soup is nothing to shout about, but definitely homemade and not those ready mixed ones. Personally I think its ok, but my friend felt that it was a little bit too creamy.

Slices of warm soft bread, with chunks of butter spread

We had grilled fish and beef for our main course. I can’t remember the exact name of the fish, but if memory serves me well, its probably their “Catch Of The Day”. The fish differs from time to time, so you may want to check with the staff on whats the special for the day.

Grilled Catch Of The Day

Presenation was definitely good, and the fish was quite fresh. Don’t expect fine dining kind of dish where the fish meat is snow white and melts in your mouth. Having said that I think the texture was ok and the meat was quite soft.

Grilled Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

The beef came with black pepper sauce. Tastes ok to me, somewhat like Jack’s Place standard. But hey, its the seafood that counts right?

There’s also a seafood platter, that I think is comparable if not better than the Fish & Co. one. Though its slightly more expensive. Sorry no photos for that, as I was already halfway through before I remembered to take a snapshot. P

Home-made Tiramisu

For dessert we had tha homemade tiramisu (see above), and the fried banana fritters. I’m a sucker for tiramisu-s so I just had to have a try since it was recommended on their menu. Pretty ok I’d say but I’ve tasted better ones. A little bit too much cocoa powder ontop, while too much cheese in the filling. You can taste the espresso, but no real liquor or kahlua scent.

Banana Fritters

I ordered the banana fritters having in mind the chinese delicacy “Ba Si Siang Jiao”. Apparently its nothing like it. This one is coated with flour and deep fried, topped with chocolate sauce. I think the chocolate didn’t go too well with the fried bananas.

If you’re into grilled seafood, or looking for a fresh option from the usual Fish & Co. then I would recommend BigFish. Don’t expect fine dining quality, but rather something a little bit more “homely, with a personal touch” compared to Fish & Co. A full course for 2, would cost about $70-$80.

Big Fish Seafood Grill

BigFish Seafood Grill Restaurant
85 Upper East Coast Road Singapore 455222
Telephone: 6441 6920
Fax: 6441 6981
Website: www.bigfish3.com

I’m on a seafood diet — I see food, I eat it.

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Tucked away in the basement of Takashimaya , is an Italian Bistro like setting called “Ambush”. Basically what it is is a simple shop front where you place your order, and a seating area (kinda small) at the back while the kitchen has a transparent window. Its like an open concept situated in the middle of the basement area within Takashimaya.

From the looks, it would seem like its an eat and go kinda place, where the business model is more for the Takashimaya shoppers to take a break. I for one wouldn’t have thought that they would serve decent, if not very good Italian spaghetti there!

Both my friend and I ordered a main course, and an addition of about $4.50 for a soup OR desert.

The soup of the day was cream of mushroom. One of my personal favourites. The soup is definitely homemade. Unlike many bistros these days, Ambush doesn’t use those instant can or packet soup mix. You can taste the broth with lotsa diced up shitake mushrooms inside.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

I’m a sucker for cream soup, hence I thought it was really good. Though my friend thought that the soup was a little bit too creamy. So I guess its an individual’s preference.

For appetizers we had the “Queen’s Scallops”, its basically baked scallops (with the shells) with some herbs on the top. Pretty decent with 6 shells on one plate. Don’t expect some fine dining type of quality cooking, but for about $12 per plate of 6, I think the pricing may be a little on the high side as well. Unless you are a seafood fanatic, you may want to skip this and try other types of appetizers.

Queen Scallops

My friend then ordered the Prawn Linguine with Arriabiata Sauce. Basically its tomato based type of linguine with a generous amount of big succulent prawns. The prawns were quite fresh and were very chewy. The tomato based sauce wasn’t too “tomatoey” and you can taste some garlic and other herbs within. For me, I’m more of a “creamy” person, but I think its still ok. The noodles though were cook to perfection, not soggy, and the chewyness was just right.

Prawn Linguine with Arriabiata Sauce

For me, I ordered the Scallop with Fresh Roe Linguine. Hmm firstly the base was kinda like those white creamy sauce, with a generous serving of fresh scallops (different type from the appetizer we had earlier on), and lots of fish roe sprinkled on top. The gravy was just right to me, not too creamy, being able to taste some herbs. So far, I think its one of the best Cream based pasta that I’ve tasted in Singapore. The ingredients used were very fresh too.

Scallop with fresh Roe Sauce

I think both pastas were value for money. They were roughly about $12-$14 per dish, and even so, the amount of ingredients added were in abundance.

For dessert, we tried the apple crumble. Nothing super fanciful, but it tasted home made, not those factory mass produced type. The apples inside were fresh too.

In terms of pricing and food quality, the only other place that can match this would probably be Creations at Shaw Tower. Taking the price and food quality served, I think this can easily beat fine dining restaurants like Prego’s, hands down.

Highly recommended for pasta lovers!

Ambush (Takashimaya)

Ambush
391B Orchard Road,
#B2-04-2-1 Ngee Ann City Tower B,
Singapore 238874
www.ambush.com.sg

Esse nufesso qui dice male di pasta…

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Gigantic rubber ducky along Singapore River

Located just outside the GV cinema entrance was Terra Cafe. It isn’t the appealing kind to me on first look, but I was desperate to find a place sit down, and chill from the extensive heat earlier.

Grilled Lamb Rack

We had a roast Lamb Rack and Linguine Mariana for main course. Both cost roughly $20. Which I’d say is very good for that kind of pricing. The lamb was well roasted with lots of flavour. Not too dry as well.

Linguine Mariana with Ginger Apple Smith

The linguine wasn’t soggy and was topped with average sized prawns which were quite fresh and chewy.

Ah finally sweets, my favourate part of the meal. One of the meals we ordered was added to a set meal, we decided on a coffee flavoured ice-cream. Sadly though we waited for eternity before the ice-cream actually came. Think they probably forgot about out order.

Coffee Ice-Cream

Then was the Tiramisu. Now now, here’s the very delicate critic from someone who self-claims can make the best tiramisu in town. (at this point if you interested, feel free email me for recipe heeh..)

Tiramisu with overdose of cocoa powder

I felt that there was too much cocoa powder on top.. seriously… The top of the tiramisu was “flooded” with cocoa. The texture of the mascopone cheese was right for my liking. Not too creamy nor too cheesy. Its a good blend so you won’t feel too “yeek” after a few spoonfuls. The ladyfinger soaked in coffee was pretty ok. Good strong espresso taste, though lacked a little kahlua (coffee liquor)

Next we had apple fritters and ice-cream. In my mind I was thinking of Ba Si Ping Guo. Basically its apple coated with flour and malt sugar, then deep fried. They’ll soak the pieces in ice cold water upon serving so as to have the sugar hardened up. Its a very exquisite chinese dessert originated from the north I think. The only place I know that serves this is at Prima Tower.

What came out though was totally different.

Apple Fritters with Vanilla IceCream

This version is shapped like donuts and the apple (quite freshly sliced) is coated with flour. Not the crispy type, the softer kind. Eating it plain isn’t exactly to my liking, but with the frosted sugar and vanilla ice-cream as compliments, hmm quite yummy.

Last but not least was a dessert I wanted to try. And though I didn’t order it, it was mistakenly served to our table. I can’t remember the exact name of the dessert but it had these few words: “Ice-cream, espresso, vacuum”

Expresso with Vanilla IceCream

Hmm sounds interesting right? We took a shot of it. But the waiter took it away after realizing his mistake. So I guess I can only review that the next time I head down to Terra.

On the whole its a nice place for a group of people to catch up. Decent food (nothing exquisite) with reasonable pricing. Quantity and quality both strike a balance. Ample choices of variety for appetizers, main course, and desserts. Oh ye they have quite a lot of finger food too, so you don’t really have to pop in just for a meal. It can be for drinks and a light bite too.

Update: Terra Cafe has closed down. Heard Soup Spoon is taking over the place.

Terra Cafe
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-43 Vivocity

He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise

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